WITH lambing season upon us, farmers across the district are eyeing up the latest batch of newborns for potential champions at next month’s Northumberland County Show.

Rebecca Wilson, of West Woodfoot Farm, Slaley, is no different with her flock of 50 breeding ewes, specialising in five rare breeds – Teeswaters, Herdwicks, Cheviots, Kerry Hills and Llanwenogs.

She has been instrumental in the launch of a new British rare breed sheep class at the show and her business, Tynedale Rare Breeds, has sponsored the section.

Robert Raine, vice chairman of the sheep section, said: “We’re excited by this development as we’ve had a growing number of requests for this class.

“With the location of the show being close to Herdwick breeding heartlands of Cumbria and the Wensleydales from Yorkshire, plus the Northumbrian Cheviots, we expect some of the entrants will represent local sheep.

“Hopefully, however, we’ll see some really unusual sheep.

“It would be marvelous for the public to see all these rare breeds.”

Rebecca has lived in the Tyne Valley for 20 years and moved to West Woodfoot in 2011. But she was brought up on Cotswold Farm Park in Gloucestershire, where her father Joe Henson began keeping rare breeds in the 1960s.

Rebecca said: “It started out as a hobby, with only two Gloucester cows and two Gloucester Old Spot pigs, and became a lifelong passion when he provided a home for a collection of rare breeds from nearby Whipsnade Zoo.”

In 1973 Joe Henson was a founder member of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust and was honoured in 2011 for his outstanding contribution to the trust.

The same year he was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for his services to conservation.

Sadly, Joe passed away in 2015, but the family have generously donated a trophy in his name to commemorate his contribution to farming, conservation of rare breeds and his inspiration to them.

All of the Henson children have pursued successful careers in agriculture and environment, with Rebecca’s sister, Libby Henson, a renowned expert in rare breeds, travelling from Exeter to undertake the judging of the section.

Louise Henson is managing director of the Forest Peoples Programme, and farms rare breed cattle, while their brother, Adam Henson, who now runs the family farm, is well known as an author and television presenter on the BBC’s Countryfile.

Cotswold Farm Park is a showcase for at-risk breeds and is now a major tourist attraction.

Rebecca moved to the North-East in the late 1980s when she married husband Nick, a Geordie, who came home to run the family firm.

She spent 10 years working for the BBC in Newcastle, including directing the news and working as first assistant director on the children’s drama Byker Grove.

“When our daughter left home to go to university we decided to move house and bought West Woodfoot,” said Rebecca.

“We were supposed to be down-sizing, but we have more land and less house! I got back to my roots and decided to get some sheep.

“My hobby has progressed into a business and I now breed rare breed pedigree stock for sale and plan to start selling my meat in packs.

“I’m delighted that the show committee has agreed to run a British rare breed sheep section, I’m sure dad would have approved.”

Northumberland County Show will take place at Bywell Hall, near Stocksfield, on Bank Holiday Monday, May 29.

Schedules are out now and entries will close on April 29.